The Distant Future
by Milonar
Summary: The story takes place after the "True Ending", so it may contain major spoilers. Try to avoid reading this story if you haven't completed the game. There will be some OCs and BL (LudgerxJude). As the story continues further, description may be changed later. [HIATUS]
1. A Dream about Him

**The Distant Future**

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 **Summary** **:**

Many years later, exactly in eight years, most of Ludger's friends have achieved their dreams and goals. Due to his profession as spyrite researcher, Jude has forgot _the promise_ between him and Ludger. One day, he goes to Marksburg to help Alvin, Elize and Elle. Unexpectedly, the team encounters a familiar yet new figure. Who is it...?

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 **Credit of the cover:** Pixiv Id=1642967

 **Authour's Note** : I've had this idea inside my head for few weeks, and I couldn't help writing it down. Although I'm the author, I'm not sure how this story will go. The whole plot is actually more complicated than I expected. Oh well, I will see what I can... write. :D

By the way, I only finished Tales of Xillia 2, so there will be few things from the original ToX that I don't know. Please feel free to correct me if I make a mistake somewhere in the story.

This story has OCs, but they won't be paired with anyone from the original cast in ToX series. They will be revealed later. Well, I think you can guess what roles they are based on the title. Haha.

Well, please enjoy the first chapter and leave a review if you can. Thanks in advance!

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 **Chapter 1:** A Dream about Him.

People rarely dreams at night when they grow older. This also happens to Jude. Most of his dreams often has no meaning, or somehow, they end up as a nightmare. Nevertheless, he forgets them quickly since his work doesn't allow him to care about silly dreams.

Until one day, a strange dream happens to him.

In his indistinct dream, Jude finds himself standing in the middle of the small park that was located outside a familiar apartment in Trigleph. The city seems to be empty without anybody around.

The setting down sun covers the surroundings in a dim orange colour. The young doctor suddenly realises how much he misses this beautiful scenery. A sad smile soon appears on his lips. It has already been eight years, but Jude never forgets this place since he has spent so much time with Elle and her father here. Very long time ago, the little girl often sat on the swing and watched the sunset alone. She could sit for hours to only look at the sky. Jude also joined her sometimes. At those moments, they mostly remained in silence, thinking about the same person- the one that they love most who is now gone from this world.

The doctor lets out a sigh and wonders. Why is he dreaming about the past today? Something is not right, but he cannot point it out. Nonetheless, this is a dream, isn't it? Then, he will soon wake up and forget about it.

Suddenly, Jude notices someone. The swings was empty few seconds ago, but now, there is a white-haired man sitting on it. Although this person turns his back against Jude, he still can recognise who it is because of his hairstyle and clothes. Speechless with so much surprise, he tries to reach the person. However, his body refuses to move an inch. Next, the view in front of his eyes starts to crack.

"No... Stop...! Stop! Please!"- Jude tries to call out the man's name- "Ludger... LUDGER!"

Finally, his dream world shatters into pieces. Everything falls into a deep darkness, just like how the factured dimension gets destroyed...

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Jude wakes up with his heart pounding.

Both of his hair and clothes are damped in sweat, while his eyesight is too weak to see anything. To stop these symptoms, the doctor shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath first. Then, he keeps breathing in and out slowly. After five minutes, his calmness returns as well as his vision.

"Where am I...?"- Jude glances over the study room lightened by afternoon sunlight from the small window. As usual, the room full of books and his research papers- "Ah, yes... This is Helioborg Research Station."- He gives out a long sigh- "Come to think of it, spyrite business has already kept me in around here for a week... Ugh...! My whole body hurts so much..."- Jude mumbles. He should take note that sleeping on the couch is bad for his health.

Recalling his previous dream, or rather a nightmare, the young doctor stands up and walks to his table. Then, he takes out a pair of white-frame glasses from one of the locked drawers. Since both of his eyes are still doing well, these glasses are equipped with normal lens.

"Ludger..."

Everytime he looks at this item, old memories are brought back to him immediately. He remembers most of everything, especially the time he spent with Ludger. Eight years ago, his white-haired friend bought these glasses for him, saying that he would look nice with them on. In the end, he only keeps it as memento. What is the point to wear it without Ludger here...? For him, Ludger was more than a friend. They were so close that it seemed nothing would be able to separate them, except fate. Ludger did what he must in order to save Elle, the little girl whom he considers as his daughter. And so does Jude.

"Jude?"- Someone outside is knocking at the door- "Are you awake?"

"Ah, yes! Wait a moment, please!"- Jude answers as he quickly puts the glasses back to his drawers and locks it. Next, in three minute, he tries to collect all his science documents scattered randomly on the floor and places them into one place. Only when the room is less messy, Jude finally opens the door to greet his friend- "Please come in, Balan. Is everything in the Research Wing all right?"

"Yes, we're able to keep everything in order."- Balan nods with a soft smile. His smile soon disappears as he notices a dark ring around Jude's eyes. Bascially, it's saying that Jude hasn't been sleeping much lately- "Well.. I actually come here to check on you. You seem to be tired, Jude. I suggest that you should take a break."

"Please don't worry, Balan! I'm...!"- Whenever someone asks how he's feeling, he will always uses the same reply "I'm fine". However, today, he admits that his body crosses its limit. Both of his mind and heart feel heavy. Maybe that dream is the reason?- "If I have to tell the truth, then I will say... I miss my warm bed."

"Indeed. Couch is not a good place to sleep."- Balan chuckles- "You always push yourself too hard, Jude. I'm here, too. We can share the burden, can't we?"- What Balan says is right, so Jude can only nod in agreement- "There will be no meeting today, so go outside for some fresh air! Besides, you haven't seen your friends for a while. I'm sure that they miss you, Jude."- The scientist stops for few seconds to remember something- "Oh my... I almost forgot...! Alvin, Elize and Elle dropped by to see you two hours ago. You were sleeping, so they left..."

"They did?!"- Jude raises in voice in surprise- "Uhm... Do you know where are they now?"

"Hmmm... Alvin mentioned that he had a business in Marksburg, so I think they may still be there."- The scientist suggests as he slowly walks around the study room. Then, he bends down and picks up a device under the couch- "How about checking your GHS and giving them a call?"- It's his GHS! He must have dropped it while taking a nap ealier. It sounds embarrassed, but he has completely forgot about his phone since he put it in silence mode- "While you are out, I will take care of your study room. All right?"

"Haha... That..."- Jude makes a weak laugh, but this time, he takes up the offer- "Thanks a lot, Balan. If anything happens, please feel free to call me back. See you later."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Outside of the Helioborg building, the young doctor opens his GHS to check new emails. The first one is from Elle, which was sent few hours ago. Her message is kinda long, mostly asking if he is doing well or not, or whether he takes enough meals. Alvin, Leia and Elize's emails also share the similar content. After reading all the messages, he can't help feeling guilty because everyone is worried about him. Therefore, he decides to give them a call right now.

"I hope that they are not busy, though."- Jude mumbles as he quickly dials Alvin's number. Ten seconds later, Alvin picks up his GHS- "Hey, Alvin. It's me, Jude."

"Ah! Jude! Man, you finally called me!"- The salesman's voice sounds happy, upset and somehow, a bit hasty at the same time- "How are you doing? You know, we were very worried about you! You didn't even reply our messages."

"Yes, I know... I'm truly sorry."- He apologises- "I'm totally fine. There is nothing to worry about me!"- Tons of noises are coming from Alvin's place, so he has to press the GHS against his ears. Some serious shouting can even be heard- "By the way, are you standing in a crowd or something...? I barely hear you. Where are you? Are Elize and Elle with you?"

"Ah...! Sorry, let me find another place. Wait a bit!"- The call is hung up. Alvin seems to be in a hurry. What is it going on? Has something happened...? He cannot stop asking questions inside his head. After one minute of waiting, his GHS finally rings- "OK, I'm back. Sorry about the ealier."- Speaks Alvin. His voice sounds a little trouble- "I wish we could talk more. Sadly, today is not a good time. Everything is quite chaotic here..."- That may explain a bit about the noises he heard earlier, Jude thinks- "Elize and Elle were with me, but they are in Marksburg hospital now."

"Hos... Hospital?!"- Jude's heart almost jumps out of his chest- "What exactly happened?!"

"Wow...! Calm down, Jude. They are not hurt!"- Alvin assures him- "Have you read the news yet?"

"Uhm... No."- The young doctor answers honestly- "Did something happen in Marksburg?"

"Yes. You bet."- Then, Alvin begins to explain in an serious tone- "Three hours ago, a mysterious sea monster has just sunk a Marksburg ship full of passengers heading towards Aladhi Seahaven. Rescue teams were sent to search for the survivors. I don't know the details of casualty, but you can imagine the hospital is full now! Of course, Elize and Elle volunteered to help."

"That sounds terrible...!"- Jude finds it hard to believe such a tragedy could happen. He has never heard of any monster strong enough to sink a ship, until now- "All right! I will go to Marksburg! As a doctor, I cannot ignore this!"- He decides without any hesitation.

"Heh, I expected you would say that."- Says the businessman as he is thinking. After eight years, this soft-hearted guy never changes. He is always "too quick to help others". There is no point to stop this do-gooder, so he continues- "When you arrive here, call me. I will be waiting in front of the station."

"Ok. See you soon."

Jude ends the call and quickly heads towards the nearest train station. Five years ago, a subway was finally built next to Helioborg Research Station. Of course, he couldn't be happier about it. Now, it' a lot easier to travel from Helioborg to other places in Trigleph. On the train, he overhears people discussing about the catastrophe in Marksburg. Few passengers are crying worriedly for their love ones who attended on the sunken ship. Jude gives out a sigh. For him, today is such a strange day. First, he dreamt about his long lost friend, which has already brought his mood down. And then, this unfortunately event happens on the same day. Is it coincidentally...?

"Ah... I guess I'm thinking too much."- The black-haired doctor shakes his head, mumbles- "I should focus on the situation right now!"

Getting off the train, Jude is almost crushed by the flow of people. It isn't a surprised to see Marksbug Station is crowded at this moment. There are quite a lot of reporters around here, so he should expect to see Leia somewhere later.

"Alvin, I'm here!"- It takes him few minutes to spot his old friend standing at the left side of the entrance station. He quickly makes his way to him- "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!"

"Ah, Jude!"- The salesman's face lightens up when he notices the young doctor. He takes off his business glasses and greets Jude- "No worries! I'm happy to see you. It's been a while since the last time we saw you steeping outside of your study room! Anyway, we can save our chit-chat later. There are patients waitting for you, doc!"- Jude makes a nervous laugh as he follows Alvin to the hospital- "Lots of folks gather here today because of their curiousity. A monster is able to sink a ship. Yep, they hardly believe in that story."

"Hmmm... How do they know that the cause was a monster? Maybe it was something else?"- Asks Jude as he is deep in thought. He knows some of famous reseachers who study monsters, but they never mention about any dangerous sea monster. If those scientists have discovered something, they would have already informed the wolrd about it. This case sure is strange. No wonder why people are curious.

"Some survivors said that they saw a big shadow lurking under the water surface."-Alvin begins to retell what he heard a moment ago- "Before they could tell the sailors about it, the mysterious shadow suddenly rose up and assaulted the ship. Everything was happened so fast that they weren't even sure what kind of monster did it. That's all I know. We can ask Leia later for more information. She will never let this case slide from the front page!"- The black hair nods in agreement- "By the way, Jude..."- The salesman pauses a bit, then turns to look at his friend- "I know that you are real busy in Helioborg, so I'm sorry of dragging you into this."

"Hey, you don't need to apologize."- Jude shakes his head- "If I remember correctly, you didn't ask me to come here. Remember? This is my own choice to help people in trouble. That's all!"

"Heh...! Right!"- Alvin shrugs with a half smile on his face.

The conversation soon drops as both of them reach the hospital only to see that more people gather around. In order to keep the area in control, the security guards only allow the sick and their family members to enter the hospital. Reporters and other curious folks must stay outside, or else they will disturb the patients.

"Please stop."- The guards also do the same to them when they arrive at the main door- "Due to the circumstance right now, people without certain conditions are not allowed to enter the hospital. You both appears to be healthy, so may I ask, what is your business here?"

"I'm Dr. Jude Mathis."- He shows his ID card to them- "I've heard about the sunken ship accident. Please let me in. I would like to assist Marksburg hospital in helping those unfortunate victims."

"You... You are Dr. Jude Mathis?!"- With wide eyes in surprise, the guards gasp while taking a closer look of his ID card. After checking that he is the real person, they welcome him- "Ah...! Please accept our apologies! We didn't expect a visit from you, so... Anyway, welcome to Marksburg hospital, Dr. Mathis! At this moment, our hospital is running out of doctors and nurses to take care all the patients, so your assistance is highly appreciated. Please go in."

"Thank you. I will do my best."- Jude then points at Alvin- "Ah... By the way, this person is my friend. Can he come with me? He comes here to... check on his friends. Please trust me. He will not bother anyone in the hospital."

The guards look at the salesman, who seems to be a bit… suspicious. Alvin makes an assurance smile, implying that Jude was telling the truth. After few seconds of hesistance, they give the pair a nod of approval and step aside for them to enter the building.

"Hmmm...! You sure are famous."- Going through the main door, the salesman whispers jokingly- "Maybe I should call you Dr. Famous!"

"Stop it, Alvin. Nothing good comes when you are famous..."- Jude frowns- "Anyway, we should find Elize and Elle. I assume that they are with the survivors. Let us see what we can do to help."

Inside, everyone is in a bustle. Since the hospital in Marksburg was established recently, it's still short of sickrooms for and equipment. On his way, Jude sees that many patients don't get their rooms. They have to lie down on couches or small mattresses. Hopefully, in the near future, this place will get all the medical treatments from both Emlypios and Rieze Maxia. He knows that Chancellor Marcia, Gaius and Rowen are working at their best to make it happen.

"Ah! I found Elize."- Says Alvin as he spots a familiar light blond-haired girl across the hallway, who is busy healing a small injured boy. Not wanting to disturb their friend and the patients, the pair quietly approach her.

"Woah! Alvin's back!"- As usual, Teppo is with Elize today. He notices them first- "And... he IS with Jude! This is SO awesome! We really miss you! Do you know that?"- The squishy toy quickly flies to the black-haired man with his mouth opening wide.

"Stop! Don't do this here, Teppo!"- Using both of his hands, Jude catches the puppet before it gives him a bite or... a kiss. Teppo immediately looks sad- "Umm... I... I will let you do this to me next time, Ok? We have to be quiet in the hospital. Understand?"- He pats the toy to cheer him up. Then, the three of them wait for Elize to finish the treatment.

"I have cured your wounds. For now, you and your family should take a rest."- Elize speaks softly. The small boy nods- "Please don't hesitate to tell me if any of you feel unwell. I will come back to check on you again later, all right?"- The boy's family thanks Elize for helping their son. She smiles at them gently before standing up and walking to her friends- "Welcome back, Alvin!"- Her green eyes blink in surprise when she sees Jude holding Teppo- "Jude! I didn't expect to see you here! How have you been? Did you eat and sleep well?"

"I'm fine, Elize. I'm sorry for not able to reply your messages. Meetings and reports sure have kept me in Helioborg for a while..."- The spyrite doctor nervously rubs the back of his neck- "Well... Since I had some spare time today, I phoned Alvin to ask how all of you have been doing so far. He told me what happened in Marksburg. Hence, here I am."- He pauses in few seconds to cast his eyes around the hospital hallway. There are sure lots of untreated patients, but strangely, Elle is nowhere to be found nearby- "Um... Where's Elle?"

"Elle is with the rescue teams outside."- Answers Elize- "You see, we have many victims who are children and elders. Due to the monster's assault, some of them become... a little bit unstable. They are both shock and afraid. Elle is doing her best to calm them down before they are sent here for the treatment."

"I see. This is more serious than I thought..."- The young doctor nods and rolls up his jacket sleeves- "All right! Let's do our best to help these people!"- Then, he heads to wounded patients and begins to cure them.

"Jude hasn't changed at all."- Mumbles Elize. She knows for sure that Jude is tired and lacking of sleep- "He always push himself too hard, don't you think?"

"I agree."- Alvin sighs- "The kid wants to keep himself busy as much as possible, I assume. It seems to be the only way for him to forget what happened eight years ago... I cannot blame him, though."- Raising his voice a bit, he winks at the blond girl- "Well, what are we waiting for? We shouldn't let him do everything, right? Let's see what we can do!"

"Yeah!"- Teppo approves.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The scenery in Marksburg always reminds Elle back to the time when she was with " _him_ ". This place has witnessed some tragic events, such as the peace treaty between Emlypios and Rieze Maxia. The E. S. S Pelune with Chancellor Marcia on it was attacked by Exodus. Lots of people were killed on that day, including the young woman whom she loves. Everything didn't stop there. Once again, she lost another important person. It's " _him_ ".

Elle shakes her head. Any form of distraction should not allow at this moment, but then, she definitely needs a break. Her throat is completely dry while her body is bathed in sweat. Helping people is actually a tiring job. Thus, she sometimes wonders how Jude can manage to do it all the time.

"Where do I put my handkerchief?"- While Elle's searching for the handkerchief, a golden watch falls from her pockets- "Ah! The watch...!"- She tries to catch it, but it's too late. The watch drops on the ground with its lip opening. She quickly picks it up- "Gah! How careless I am...! Luckily, the watch doesn't have any scratch! And it's..."- Elle stops suddenly to see something that she has never expected of. Her eyes blink times to make sure this isn't an illusion- "It's... working?"

The watch needles are moving very slowly, but the tick can still be heard clearly. Holding the precious watch, her hands are trembling not from fear, but some sort of happiness. There is only one reason why the watch starts moving again. If she is right, then this must mean...

"Ahh!"- Elle utters a cry of shock when somebody bumps into her unexpectedly. It's a young boy, who seems to be around eight years old. After regaining his balance, he continues running ahead without giving her any apology- "Fine! Kids these days...!"- She decides to call him- "Hey! You should watch where you are going, or else...!"

"I'm really sorry!"- Turning his head back, the boy speaks very quickly- "I need to hurry! Uhm, my friends... They are injured! I must find a doctor to help them!"- Finished talking, he runs away, leaving speechless Elle behind.

The twin tails girl has to rub her eyes for few times. Just now, she saw something strange again. Her heart skips a beat. The small boy who ran into her, he has silvery hair and black bangs on the right side.

Without any hesitation, Elle decides to catch up with the boy. Unfortunately, she soon loses him in the crowd at the Bridge of Unity, but at least, she can guess where he will head to.

Meanwhile, the pocket watch keeps ticking slowly.

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"I heard that they haven't rescued all of the passengers yet... Nonetheless, it's best for them to call it a day."- The salesman takes a look at the orange sky, then gives Jude's shoulders a pat- "How are you holding up, doc?"

"Hahaha... I think I have overworked myself again."- Answers Jude with a tiring smile- "However, I'm glad to see that nobody got hurt seriously."

"Yup! We were able to help lots of people!"- Says Teppo cheerfully- "Their happy smiles make me feel happy, too!"

"Everything in the hospital has finally calmed down."- Elize continues- "All of the patients have their rooms. I hope they will have a nice rest and forget about what happened today. Well... The next question is..."- She pauses a bit- ""It's dangerous to travel on the sea now, especially when that nasty monster is still out there... What should we do about it?"

"We are not a monster hunter anymore, Elize. Besides, I'm pretty sure that Spirius Corporation will send their elite agents to annihilate it soon."- Alvin shrugs- "Anyway, we should go and meet Leia. She just sent me a message, saying that she will wait for us in front of Marksburg Inn. We need to prepare some delicious information for her, or else, she won't let us go easily!"

"You're right."- Both Jude and Elize giggles.

Walking outside, the black hair doctor checks the time with his GHS. Three hours have passed since he got here to see Alvin. The sun seems to be going down early today. Unlike earlier, not many people are hanging around the hospital area. A few of them are still talking about the accident. Maybe the reporters have already had what they wanted to hear, he guesses. On his way to the inn, Jude stops to enjoy the view of sunset in Marksburg. Alvin and Elize also do the same.

" _This sight reminds me of that dream..._ "- Absorbed in his own thoughts, Jude looks up. By the time the sun is drowning, its ray of light painting the sky an array of orange and yellow colours- " _To see him again under this beautiful sky..._ "

"Ouch!"

He is brought back to reality by someone's cry of pain. The group turns their eyes on a small boy, who just tripped over a loose road brick. Acting on his doctor instinct, Jude quickly runs to help the him:

"Are you okay?"- He asks, but the boy doesn't answer- "Here, hold my hand."- The boy does what he says, and slowly stands up on his feet- "Does anywhere of your body hurt?"

The boy remains in silence with his eyes looking down at the ground. A bandage is warpped around the boy's head, while both his hands and legs are full of scratches and bruises. His attire consists of a blue shirt with folded sleeves, brown suspenders, black shorts and leather shoes. Jude finds it very strange when this mysterious boy shares a similar outfit to a certain person... Alvin and Elize say nothing. They keep staring at the small boy, waiting for an answer from him.

"I..."- The boy begins to speak in a weak voice- "I'm fine... Thanks. Now, I need to..."- He stops to catch his breath- "You... You are..."- Suddenly, the boy uses his hands to grab Jude's jacket tightly- "You are... wearing a white jacket...! You are a doctor, right? Right?!"- Taken by surprise, Jude only answers with a nod- "Please...! You have to..."

The moment when the boy lifts his head up, Jude's heart is tightening and beating faster. His stomach is knotting itself together. All of his emotions are almost bursted out. He finds no word to describe his feeling right now. For him, the world seems to stop moving, leaving him in shock.

 ** _Silver hair with black ends on the right, green eyes with yellow rings circling his pupils, this boy has all of those features_**.

"Lu... Ludger...?"

"Huh?"- The boy jolts up at the name coming from Jude's dry lips. His eyes blink in surprise- "Ummm... Mister, how do you know my name?"- Unfortunately, there is no answer, so he continues- "Okay...? Anyway, if you are a doctor, you must come with me! My friends are injured badly! If you don't do something, they are going to die! I... I cannot let it happen...! Please help them!"

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 **To be continued…**


	2. The Strange Siblings

Hello my readers and followers!

Let me apologize for this delay chapter, because I can only write in weekends. _ Besides, I also spent too much time to rewrite some parts in this chapter. And as a result, the chapter 2 is shorter than the first one... Haha...! Anyway, please feel free to point out any grammar mistake that you see in my writings, or something that you don't understand. I will fix it right away! Now, it's time to reply some wonderful reviews.

 **KingRPG:** Thank you for being honest with me. And thanks again for being an open-minded person. :D I will do my best to keep the setting interesting.

 **sym-kresnik:** Thank you for your review. Ludger x Jude is one of my favorite pairings in ToX2. Hehe.

 **Guest 1:** Yes, we will have a little Ludger with us for a while. And no worries. I always like happy ending. :)

 **Guest 2:** Thank you for your review. Of course, I will try to write as much as possible.

 **Jurudo:** Thank you for telling me. I know that my writing style has few problems. It's always a "habit" of mine to write sentences more longer than it's needed... I will take note about it. :D

All right! Please enjoy the chapter 2. Thank you for reading it and please review if you can. Oh...! I forgot the mention one last thing. This chapter will introduce **_two new OCs_**. And I promise you that they won't cause any trouble for the main ToX casts. :D

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 **Chapter 2** : The Strange Siblings

- **EIGHT YEARS AGO** -

It was a nice and clear day in Emlypios. Unlike usual, there were not many gloomy clouds in the sky today. In additional, the weather was cool and comfortable. However, Jude felt cold and lonely inside. The reason was rather simple. He hasn't seen Ludger for a while. The white-haired agent finally had few days off from destroying fractured dimensions, but Nova hardly gave him a break. In order to finish his next debt repayment, he went to take care some monster-killing jobs. Due to his spyrite research, Jude couldn't accompany him this time. Most of his teammates also returned back to their daily life. Leia needed to complete her articles. Alvin tried to find more business partners. Gaius and Rowen had to deal with political matters. About Elize, she decided to stay with Elle and Fracture Milla while Ludger was busy working.

Sitting alone in his office, the doctor ignored the stack of papers on his desk and stared out the window. His mind was dragged back to the past. One year ago, when he kept thinking about Milla, somebody told him that was the sign of love. He felt confused because love was something new to him. Nonetheless, the relationship between them, he wouldn't dare to call is as "love". Instead of "love", it might be a pure admiration. Standing next to her indeed maked his heart fluster, but when Ludger was beside him, it even beat faster. As a result, he became more nervous when the Ludger was around. The man must have noticed his strange behaviors, but he has said nothing so far. Despite those awkward moments, he enjoyed every moment together with him.

"What is wrong with me? I can't... I can't get him out of my head!"- With a long sigh, Jude closed his eyes, muttering- "I also wonder what Ludger thinks about me... Does he... like me?"- His flow of thoughts was cut by the ringing sound of his GHS on the table. Leia's number was written on the small screen. Sluggishly, he reached the phone and pressed the button to answer- "Hello, Leia... What is it?"

"Hi, Jude! You sound sleepy. Are you sleeping on your job?"- Leia teased him. Her voice was cheerful and full of energy as usual- "Well, I'm sure this news will wake you up! Ludger's movement restriction was lifted! And guess what? He can travel to Leronde Seaheaven!"- Jude almost fell out of his chair when hearing that- "We are going to take him and Elle to our hometown today! You must come with us, Jude! Or else, someone will be sad! Tehee!"

"Haha, that is... funny, Leia."- He laughed nervously while rubbing at the back of his neck- "So, where do we meet?"

"Let's meet at the Marksburg port, Rieze Maxia side! Be quick, okay? See you there!"

The journalist ended the call, leaving the young professor overwhelming with excitement and worries. He didn't expect the day Ludger visited his hometown would come so soon.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

- **PRESENT** -

"Hey... What's the matter?"- Raising one of his eyebrows, the white-haired boy asks worriedly- "You looked surprised. Did I... say something wrong?"

With a startle, the doctor snaps out of his dazzling mind- "No! You didn't...! I was... lost in thoughts. I'm sorry."- He shakes his head while taking a quick glance at Alvin and Elize, whose surprise are still visible. He gives them a sign that they should try to act normally for now. And the two nods to agree with him. Turning back to the boy, Jude begins to introduce himself properly- "Let me apologize again for the earlier. My name is Jude Mathis, but you can call me Jude."

"Jude Mathis?"- With his emerald eyes wide-open, the boy lets out a gasp- "Are you the one who invented the Spyrite technology? I have heard lots of nice things about you. It's an honour to meet you here."

"Ah, yes... Yes, I am. Thank... Thank you."- Aside from hiding his blush, he has no idea how to respond to these wonderful comments, especially when they are come from Ludger. On the side note, Ludger's way of speaking sounds more matured than his appearance.

Elize giggles at what Alvin is whispering- "Yup! He's our Dr. Famous."

"Alvin...!"- Grumbles Jude as he decides to move to the main topic- "Ludger, you mentioned that your friend are in dangers. So, where are they now?"

"They are at the harbour side!"- The white hair quickly answers- "I will lead you to them!"

"The harbour?"- The blond girl mumbles- "Does this mean they are also the survivors from today accident...?"

"Hmmm... This is strange."- The salesman asks with his arms across his chest- "If they are at the port, why didn't you ask the people near there instead?"

"Ah, that's..."- After a moment of hesitation, the boy replies in a low voice- "I don't know if you will believe me, but... Some spirits told me if I crossed the Bridge to this side, I would find the right person to help me and my friends..."

" _Spirits? He's... able to hear the spirits? How? Who is this boy exactly?_ "- Everything is getting strange, but unfortunately, the doctor and his friends have to hold their questions back since they need to rescue Ludger's friends first. Hopefully, they can learn more information about Ludger from his friends. Following the boy to the Bridge entrance, the group soon sight a familiar figure.

"Oh? Isn't that...?"- Recognizing who it is, Elize raises her voice to call the twin tails girl over- "Hey, Elle!"

"Huh?"- Elle quickly turns her head to the voice's direction that she hears- "Ah! Elvin and Alvin, where are you two...?"- Her voice then trails off into a mumble when she sees a white-haired boy standing next to Jude- "You are...!"

Taking a step back, Ludger exclaims- "Ah! It's you!"

Raising his eyebrows, the salesman asks- "Wait a second... You knew her, kid?"

"Err... No."- The boy shakes his head- "I bumped into her few minutes ago..."- He lifts his head to look directly at Elle- "I'm sorry again. Umm, I hope you don't get mad at me."

The young girl stammers- "O-Of course not...! A-Anyway, why are all of you here?"

"We're on the way to help Ludger's friends."- The young professor explains. Instantly, a shock experssion is shown on Elle's face. He leans forward to whisper in her ears- "Yes. His name is also Ludger, but... they may not be the same person. This boy doesn't know any of us."- He pauses a bit to cast a sidelong glance at the little Ludger- "Honestly, I... I don't care who he really is, though. Right now, let's focus on his request first."

"Okay...!"- Answers Elle as she notices something off from Jude. Both his hands are put in the jacket's pockets- an old habit of his when he's hiding something from everyone- " _Jude... You're trying hard to hold your feelings, aren't you? After all, you were the person who wished him to return most..._ "- is what Elle's thinking. Sadly, she can't bring herself to speak out those words.

The group continues to accompany Ludger to the Bridge of Unity. Although most of the shops are closed early today, the Bridge is still crowded for some reasons. Besides the merchants and citizens, Marksburg guards and Spirius agents are also around. Due to the ship accident, all of them seem to be on guard.

"Hey, Ludger. Stay close to us, all right?"- The businessman advises- "It will be bad for us if we're lost you in this crowd."

"Please don't worry. I will cling onto our professor here until we get to my friends!"- Says Ludger as he firmly grasps the black hair's sleeve again.

"Well... I don't mind if you stick with me, but this looks kinda weird."- With a soft smile, Jude extends his hand to Ludger- "Why don't you hold my hand instead?"

"Uhm, sure."- The white-haired boy takes the doctor's hand without any hesitation. After a few seconds' pause, he continues in a low voice- "I... I wonder why I have a familiar feeling about you, Jude. Have I met you before or...?"- He quickly shakes his head- "No, it must be my imagination. Nevermind. Let's hurry."

Jude raises his eyebrows in confusion. He can't hear the last past because Ludger spoke too fast- "Is that so...? Okay."

From behind, Alvin is talking in a whisper with Elle and Elize- "Hmmm, watching the two of them sure brings me back to the past."

"Yeah..."- The blonde girl agrees- "Eight years are such a long time. However, I still remember everything about Ludger."

"Me, too."- Elle nods. She finds it difficult to take her eyes off the small boy walking beside the doctor- "Hey... Do you think this boy is Ludger's reincarnation? I mean... It would be possible, right?"

"Maybe."- Answers Alvin as he rubs the back of his neck- "Milla once returned to us as spirit, so I guess this might happen to Ludger as well... Anyway, we haven't known anything yet."

Elize gives out a slight sigh- "I wish Milla was here. She might know what was going on... Moreover, it has been a while since the last time we saw her. It was last year, wasn't it? I hope that she is doing well."

The conversation between the three of them is ended when Ludger suddenly speaks out loud- "Hey...! Those are my friends!"- Letting go of the doctor's hands, he speeds up to head towards the gateway to the other side of Marksburg.

Jude calls- "Wait, Ludger!"- However, the boy doesn't listen, which leaves the party no choice but to run after him- " _His friends...? Why are they here?_ "- Everyone wonders. Somehow, they have a feeling that these friends of Ludger aren't ordinary people.

And little does they know, this encounter will be the beginning for a new adventure.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

 **-THIRTY MINUTES AGO-**

"Jonathan! Wake up!"- Hearing his name is called, Jonathan tries to answer, but nothing comes from his dry throat. He feels someone is shaking is body, asking him to open his eyes- "Hang in there! I will find somebody to help you guys!"

"Wait, Ludger...!"- When he manages to have his voice back, the silver hair boy is already gone. The the heaviness of his body is luring him back to a deep slumper- "Tch...! It seems I have no strength left..."

Although the tiredness is taking control of him, he can feel the cold ground underneath his body and the smell of salt in the air. If he tries to focus, he can hear the sound of waves, kingfisher's cries and voices of people in the distance. The more sounds he hears, the more he wonders. What is going on? And where is he exactly? In order to answer those questions, he needs to pull himself together. Repeating the quote "I cannot die here!" inside his head, he regains his senses slowly and opens his heavy eyelids. The first thing he sees, is his younger sister. She lays unconscious next to him. Her skin is so pale that someone may mistake her as a death person. Grindings his teeth, he crawls to reach her motionless hands.

"Lily...! You... You used all of your mana to heal me, didn't you...?"- Holding his sister tightly, Jonathan forces himself to stand up. Right now, he can't allow himself to be such a weakling brother. Lily needs him- "You are going to be okay! I promise!"

Jonathan knows that he should wait for Ludger, but then, it's better to leave this place first. They are currently inside a warehouse with tons of boxes and barrels. The whole room is lightened by natural orange light coming from the windows. Night is falling, so he should to be hurry. With Lily on his back, he walks straight to the exit. Thankfully, the door isn't locked or else they would be in a big trouble. Opening the door, he looks around carefully. Some sailors are seem to be busy of discussing something serious, so he is able to sneak out of the house without any problem.

Outside at last, the older brother sighs with relief. Next, he adjusts his beret down a bit to cover most of his face. It's one of his habits whenever he enters a crowded road. It makes him feel comfortable, especially when he needs to deal with curious stares from the passers-by later. His clothes may catch an amount of attentions. The reason is, he fought against powerful enemies not long ago, so now, there are few torn parts and red stains all over his clothes. Mostly, those stains are his blood. Besides, his attire is actually a military uniform, which makes him look like a soldier rather than a normal citizen. Well... A wounded soldier carries a young girl on his back, wandering in the town... Yep. People will hardly ignore him and his sister.

Jonathan manages to locate the pier quickly since it's not far from the warehouse. It isn't a surprise see many huge ships are anchored in the dock at the same time. They won't be able to go anywhere soon as long as the _main danger_ is still swimming in the ocean. It has sunk one ship. As a result, lots of passengers have died. Sailors and people who lost their friends or family members, they have a depressed expression on their faces. Some of them are even crying and screaming in agony. This grim sight reminds him of his failure.

 _After all_ , _he has failed to kill that monster...!_

Nobody is in the mood to pay attention to him, so he uses this chance leave the port quietly while avoiding eye contact as much as possible. The street leads him to the centre of the city, where he can get the whole view of the scenery. In the distance, it's the trace of the schism which once separated the two nations, and the Bridge of Unity is what connects the two lands together.

"Does this mean...?"- Jonathan gasps with his wide-open eyes.

"We are in Marksburg..."- Before he can finish his question, a sudden answer from behind gives him a startle- "I'm glad that we... didn't teleport to a dangerous place..."

"Lily!"- Turning at his back, he almost cries again when knowing his sister finally regained her consciousness. Nonetheless, she still looks so weak that the winds may able to blows her away easily - "Are you awake? How are you feeling?"- He asks worriedly.

"I'm... I'm a little dizzy, but I can stand on my own... Please let me down, brother."- Lily insists. As a doctor, she must be aware of his condition. Even though he doesn't mind carrying his sister, there is no choice for him at this moment. He is completely worn-out with all of his sore muscles- "Thank you for taking care of me. I'm sorry to trouble you..."-Getting her feet back on the ground, she takes a quick check the surroundings, only unable to find a small silver hair boy anywhere- "I don't see Ludger with us... Where is he?"

"He left to find someone to help us. I couldn't stop him in time. I was exhausted..."- Jonathan pauses to endure the throbbing pain running through his whole body- "It's... It's okay, Lily!"- Despite the aches are torturing him, he quickly stops his sister from using her healing artes- "You should save your mana, or else you will..."- He admits it with a frown- "I... I hate losing my last family member."

"I...!"- Lily tries to deny, but she fails- "I understand..."- She nods slightly and keeps her eyes on the ground.

Suddenly, there is a long silence between them. With a long sigh, the older brother turns his eyes to the sea. Somehow, it's hard to keep his thoughts together. Many difficult questions are spinning inside his head.

"Brother..."- Lily decides to break the silence, bringing him back to reality- "Ludger hasn't come back. Should we look for him first?"

"Now that you mention it... What took him so long, I wonder? Could it be...?"- Jonathan gets into a panic when he imagines something terrible might happen to the boy. Sombody might have kidnapped him, or he was lost in the middle of the city- "Gah! This isn't good...! W-What should we do?"

Lily cuts of her brother- "Calm down, brother. Let me ask the spirits in this area. They might know where Ludger went."- Jonathan waits patiently while his sister is trying to communicate with the spirits. After three mintues, she opens her eyes and says- "One of the them told me that he crossed the Bridge of Unity! Let's go!"

With the information, the siblings quickly heads to the Bridge. Even though it's almost nighttime, this place still has tons of people crossing by. The crowd and its noises make them feel dizzer. Nonetheless, they must push themselves a little longer.

"Hey...! Those are my friends!"- Jonathan hears vaguely a familiar voice, so he stops to casts his eyes around. From the stream ofpeople, a silver hair figure is running to him- "Jonathan! Lily! Why are you here? What about your wounds?"

"Ah! Ludger!"- The siblings cry out in surprise. The older brother then asks- "We were worried because you haven't come back. Hence, we decided to search for you. Where did you go?"

"Um... I went to the other side to look for help. And guess what?"- Ludger says with excitement- "I met Jude Mathis! You know, it's the famous spyrite researcher that all the spirits are talking about! He is the perfect person who can help you two in this case!"

"Wait... What?"- Jonathan asks again- "You met... Jude Mathis?"

"Yeah!"- With a nod, the little boy turns round. A party of four people is heading towards them- "There they are. The black hair in the group is Jude Mathis. The others are probably his friends."

Lily's face immediately changes colour while a worried expression is shown on her eyes. She speak to her brother in a very low voice, only enough for him to hear- "This is what we were afraid most... It's... finally happened."

"Tch...!"- Jonathan clenches his fist, struggling to stay calm. He whispers through his biting lips- "I guess Chronos was right... The bond between them cannot be broken easily."

"What are we going to do...? If it continues, this world will be..."

The younger sister continues to ask, but sadly, her brother remains silent.

* * *

 **To be continued…**


	3. Connections

Hello my readers!

One year has passed since the last time I updated this story of mine. Quite frankly, work and life problems have taken all of my time to write and even given me a huge writer block. As the result, I couldn't bring myself to write... I've recoverd a bit from the stress, and so, I would like to continue this story a bit. Anyway, I won't be able to update regularly and really I apologise for that.

Well then, please enjoy reading.

* * *

 **Chapter 3:** Connections

- **EIGHT YEARS AGO** -

When Jude arrived at the meeting spot, Leia has already bought the tickets and handed one to him. Without any further delay, everybody boarded the ship that its destination was Leronde Seaheaven. Gaius and Rowen also joined this trip. They sat together with Elize, Leia and Alvin. And somehow, it didn't matter whether they were on train, bus or ship, Jude's seat was always next to Ludger. Elle usually sat between them, but today, she chose to sit with the Fractured Milla.

The young doctor lifted his head a little to take a quick look at the mirror-image of a close friend he once knew. Unlike the original person, the Fracture Milla appeared to be more human without the Great Spirits. Aside that, both of them looked exactly the same, only with different clothes.

As usual, Ludger didn't talk much. Seemed to be deep in thoughts, the man kept his eyes at scenery behind the glass windows. Meanwhile, Elle and Fracture Milla were playing and talking cheerfully in front of him. Honestly, these simple moments really put his mind at ease and gave him more energy to continue his work. Thus, Jude decided to went over his research notes.

Only after a while, he heard a breathy snore.

Jude turned over, and the agent has already fallen asleep with his head leaning on the window. Elle also did the same. Closing her eyes tightly, the little girl slept peacefully on the fractured Milla's lap. Jude and Fractured Milla looked at two sleepers, then they looked at each other again. For some reasons, both of them gave out soft chuckles. This wasn't the first time Ludger suddenly fallen asleep. He did it few times when they travelled on trains. However, it was rare to see he and Elle dropped off to sleep at the same time.

"The two of them must have been busy lately."- Said the doctor with his eyes were still on the sleeping friend- "I'm a bit worried because they tend to push themselves too hard, especially our Ludger here."

"Yes, indeed."- The blond woman nodded while her fingers was gently going through Elle's hair- "You see, he took many jobs last week. Most of them are moster extermination requests. Of course, Ludger asked Elle to stay at home with me, but she refused. That's why, I also gave him a hand there since I had nothing to do..."- Rubbing her tired eyes, she continued- "Even so, there were lots of requests that Ludger did alone. Well... It seems that he wants to pay off his debt as soon as possible."

"I see. His debt... I truly wish I could help him about it, but at this moment... I can't."- Feeling guilty, Jude kept his voice low. His eyes were back on his research notes again, but his mind was wandering somewhere- "It's a bit strange that Ludger suddenly so hurried about paying his debt, though. I mean, he was taking it slowly and easy few weeks ago. What is he trying to do...?"

The blond companion tilted her head a bit as if she remembered something- "About that, I think I might know what Ludger is up to."

"You knew?"- The doctor couldn't hide his surprise in his voice.

"Well, I might be."- Fractured Milla repeated-"I actually asked Ludger about it few days ago. He normally would avoid answering me these kinds of private questions, but that day, he was too exhausted to think straight. And so, he told me that it would be terrible to be in debt if you were going to have a lover."

Hearing this made Jude almost drop his notebook. He stammered, trying his best not to speak too loud- "Um, w-what? Did you say... A-A lover?! Ludger, he has a lover?!"

The blonde frowned- "I don't know. If you are curious, why don't you ask him? Both of you seem to be very close, so he may tell you more."- Jude jolted at what Milla just said. And before he could ask her a bit more, she gave a sleepy yawn- "Well, if you excuse me... I think I need some rest, too. Call me when we arrive, all right...?"- Then, she closed her eyes and quickly drifted into her slumber, leaving Jude with many questions behind.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the young doctor stared blankly at his research papers. The white hair never mentioned that he was in relationship, so Jude always thought that his friend was still single. Come to think of it, they only knew each other few months ago, but he has already considered Ludger as someone very important to his life. And now, knowing that the agent might have special feelings for someone, a sharp pain could be felt in his heart. Was he jealous? Jude wondered. If that was the case, why did he feel this way? This feeling, he has never experienced before.

"Am I... really in love with him?"

Fortunately, nobody was around to hear his mumbles. They were all asleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

- **PRESENT** -

"Does it hurt?"- There is no reply- "How are you feeling now?"- Again, only silence answers him. The black-haired doctor clears his throat and decides to try again. He raises his voice a little bit lourder- "Hello, Jonathan? Can you hear me?"

"Ah!"- With a startle, the young boy sitting in front him nervously speaks- "Uhm, y-y-yes...? W-What is it?"

Raising one of his eyebrows, Jude worriedly asks- "Are you all right?"- Jonathan slightly nods even though his face is so pale now- "You were deep in thoughts, weren't you? Don't worry. I do it all the time."- Says Jude as he slowly continues to bandage up the boy's arm- "I'm really sorry that I don't have enough mana to heal you and your sister properly now... You see, I-I have used up all of them today."

"You went to help the survivors of the sunken ship accident, didn't you? It's fine. We understand... Doctor Mathis."

There was clearly a short pause when Jonathan called him as "doctor Mathis", Jude notices. Somehow, it gives him a feeling that the boy actually wanted to call him as something else. In addition, it's a little strange that Jonathan knew what he truly did today. Is his "do-gooder" nature well-known to everybody?

Jonathan and Lily, whom little Ludger claims that they are his friends. Jude hates to be rude, but he admits that there is something very strange about this siblings. Both of them still looks very young, only around fifteen or sixteen. However, the way they speak and behave, it is more mature than he would expect from the teenagers at the same age. At first, Jude thought that the siblings were Spirius Corporation agents because of their military uniform, but Alvin has quickly confirmed to him that Spirius agent's uniform is totally different from theirs. And thus, Jude can't help feeling curious about this pair. Where are they from? How did they know Ludger? How did they end up wounded? He hasn't known anything yet.

"I have checked your sister's injuries, Jonathan."- Speaks Elize. She's standing next to the bed, which the young girl Lily and Ludger are sleeping on- "Asides some scratches and bruises, she has some cuts as well. Fortunately, the cuts are not serious so I was able to take care of them. About your friend, Ludger..."- The blond-haired girl pauses a few seconds as if she is trying to find the right words to say- "...He's fine. He only has few scratches over his hands and knees. Now, a nice sleep is what the two need to recover from exhaustion. Food should help their empty stomach, too."

"I see. That's good to hear."- Jonathan sighs with relief. Standing up, he then bows down in front of his saviours- "Thank you very much for helping me, my sister and my friend. I really appreciate your kindness. How can I repay you?"

"It's all right! You don't need to pay us anything!"- The squishy toy answers with his cheerful voice- "Friends should help each other, and Ludger here is-"

"Ah! Stop it, Teppo!"- His owner quickly covers the puppet's mouth before it can finish its sentence- "Ahaha... P-Please don't mind him!"- She laughs nervously.

"Uhm... OK."- The older brother nods slightly. And he doesn't look very convinced at what Teppo said- "Still, is there anything I can do for you? You see, it makes me feel bad if I'm not able to return the favour. My parents always taught me to repay the debt of kindness."

"If that's the case... Maybe, you can repay us by answering some simple questions. Do you mind?"- Jude decides to take this chance in order to gather more information.

"...I don't mind. Please go ahead."

 _That is a such a dryly reply_. The doctor thinks and looks at his friend. Elize only gives him a nod, implying that he should be the one who asks the questions. Honestly, he isn't sure where to start because tons of questions are floating inside his head. He then closes his eyes a bit, breathes slowly. And when he opens his eyes again, the first question begins.

"Were you on the... You know, the sunken ship accident, were you one of the passengers?"

"Yeah..."- There is a tint of sadness or guilty at the corner of the young man's eyes. He quickly hides it by adjusting his hat down- "Few days ago, Ludger suddenly told us that he wanted to visit a place called as Leronde Seaheaven. And that is the reason why we were on the ship..."

Both the blond girl and her puppet open their eyes wide- "Leronde Seaheaven? Isn't that...?"

"Yes... It's my hometown."- The spyrite researcher confirms and has a glance at the sleeping white-haired boy. This is such a surprise, and it urges him to ask more- "So, why did he want to go there?"

Jonathan shakes his head- "I... I don't know. He didn't tell us."

Somehow, Jude has a certain feeling that this boy here hasn't told him the whole truth yet. Something is still amiss. Something that the boy refuses to share. Nevertheless, it would be a bad choice if he continued to push it further. They already had enough problems for today- "Thank you, Jonathan. I believe that we should leave you to get some rest first. We can continue later when all of you recover."

"If anything happens, please call us. We stay in the next rooms. Or you can find us downstairs, at the living room of the hotel."- Says Elize with a soft smile on her lips. She leaves the room after putting a blanket on Ludger and Lily.

The black-haired doctor still stays. Standing up, he walks to the bed to take a closer look at his old partner now in his child form. The memory when he watched the adult Ludger falling asleep on the train, it's coming back to him. He lets himself lose in those memories for few seconds before speaking again:

"Jonathan, how did you and your sister meet Ludger?"

This time, the silence is longer.

The noise of the chair being moved when someone stands up can be heard. Next, it's the sound of the footsteps heading towards the window. Still avoiding meeting the doctor's eyes, the older brother tries to keep his focus outside, on the streets below now is lit brightly by street lamps.

Finally, Jonathan raises his voice to break the silence.

"About that, I will tell you another time. I promise."

"...I understand."

Trying to hide his disappointment, Jude gives out a slight sigh. It seems that he will need to find another way to seek the answers from this siblings.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jonathan breathes a long sigh of relief when he is finally alone to gather his thoughts. Minutes ago, he could feel the tension, the pressure between him and Jude when the man asked him how he met Ludger. _It has never been easy for him to discuss a serious topic with Jude Mathis_. _Those golden eyes of his, it seems to be able to pierce through and read Jonathan's mind_. _That is why Jonathan avoided looking at it_.

"Now that _they have met_ , I will need to think another plan."- The older brother mumbles, trying to concentrate- "Our injuries aren't going to be healed soon. And keeping _him_ around will surely slow us down..."- Leaning against the cold wall, he casts a quick glance at the little Ludger. Lily and he have done well in protecting this special boy so far. And truly, they love him. They always do. To be parted from him _again_ , it will only bring them the feeling of guilt and loneliness.

From the pocket of his jacket, Jonathan takes out a silver pocket watch. It's a very strange pocket watch without numbers and the two needles. Nonetheless, the gears inside are still moving steadily. Somehow, listening to the tick of the watch usually calms him down. It gives him courage, and also reminds him that time will not stop for him. He must continue his quest.

With a frown, Jonathan tucks his pocket watch back to his pocket- "Anyway, we should take care of the sea monster first. Or else more people will lose their family members. And before that, I definitely need to get some sleep. Food and explanation can wait..."

The young man yawns and stretches his sore arms. Slowly, he drags his heavy body to the bed and lies down. However, right at the moment he closes his eyes, an uneasy feeling rushes through his body. He immediately gets out of his bed and heads to the window. This room provides him a clear view of what happens in front of the hotel. He can see and identify who is coming or leaving this place.

 _There is nobody visiting the hotel now, but soon, there will be_.

"...No way!"- Grunts Jonathan in debelief as he moves away from the window- " _She_ 's tracking us down faster than I thought! Lily, wake up! We must leave-"

"I've already done that."- Replies Lily while she is rubbing her tired eyes, forcing them to stay awake- "I'm also able to feel her presence, you know. _She_ will arrive here in fifteen minutes, which is enough for us to leave without anyone notices. And 'us' here, I mean, two of us... If we brought Ludger with us, it would be..."

Lily seems to be hesitate to speak her thoughts, but as usual, Jonathan understands his sister at best. Lowering his voice enough for only his sister to hear, he says- "Yes, it would be dangerous for him to go with us. Our journey is getting more difficult each day. At this rate, we won't be able to protect him..."- He touches at his injured arm with a frown- "If Ludger stays here, his old comrades will be sure to take care of him. They can provide him a new home; and he can have a new life without fighting and sacrificing himself again."

"That sounds good, but I can't shake of the thoughts... Brother, are we... really doing the right thing?"- The younger sister asks.

This time, Jonathan doesn't give his answer right away. He makes his way to the door and opens it quietly. Lily follows him, still patiently waiting for his reply. When they are outside of the room, he finally lets the words escape his mouth:

"...Sorry, I don't know."

That is also his confession.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jude and Elize enter the hotel lobby, where Alvin and Elle are taking their seats in front of the fireplace. Elle is still keeping her eyes down on a round object in her palm. It's the silver pocket watch which was belonged to Ludger, Jude bets. In the meantime, Alvin is talking to the new guest whom they are familiar with.

"We're back, everyone!"- Says Teppo cheerfully.

"Hey, welcome back,! While waiting for you guys, I gave the full summary of today news to my wife."- Says Alvin as he turns his eyes to the young woman who is sitting next to him- "She demanded to know everything, you see."

"Hello there, Leia!"- Jude greets his childhood friend with a smile- "How are you doing?"

"Hi, Jude!"- The high-spirited journalist greets him with a friendly embrace instead- "Hmmm? It seems to me that you have lost some weights. How many times have we told you not to work yourself too hard, Jude?"

"Err... I-I'm totally fine, Leia!"- The doctor assures his friend while embarrassedly pushing her away. He never gets used to a hug in the public- "Anyway, when did you arrive here?"

"I only arrived here ten minutes ago, right after Alvin called me."- Replies Leia as she takes a quick look around the hotel lobby- "The kids are upstairs, aren't they?"

Elize nods- "They weren't injured terribly, so we were able to heal their wounds. They still need some time to recover fully, though."

"I see."- Says Leila- "Since they are the surviors of the tragedy, I will have to interview them later. My journalist hunch tells me that they may know something. Of course, I'm not doing it now. They need a good rest first."

" _Leia's hunch is right on the spot. However, I have a feeling that even if she asks them, they won't tell her anything useful."-_ Jude wonders inside his head- " _Maybe, little Ludger can tell us about them. In that case, I will have to find a way to separate him from the siblings..._ "

"Hey, Jude? What's the matter?"- His thoughts are soon interrupted by Leia's worried voice.

"Umm... I-It's nothing."- For a second, he isn't sure how to answer.

Leia immediately continues- "You can't hide from me, Jude. Let me guess. Are you perhaps thinking about Ludger?"

The young doctor flinches and realises that all his friends are looking at him and waiting for his respond, including Elle. With a defeated sigh, he admits- "It's obvious, isn't it? Although we have nothing to prove that boy is Ludger or not, I'm very happy to see him. There is no word to describe how glad I am."- His trembling words trail off into a mumble- "If this is a dream, then I will refuse to wake up."

"Oh, Jude..."- Elle slowly stands up and walks closer to him- "It's okay. I also feel the same. And I believe all of us do."- Everyond nods in agreement- "Ludger's companions may tell us something about him. Have you asked them yet?"

Jude shakes his head- "I did, but they refuse to answer."

"You are bad at questioning people, Jude."- Alvin lets out a soft chuckle- "I suppose that we should leave this matter to the professional. Honey, are you ready for this task?"

Leia replies confidently- "You bet! I won't give up until I learn the whole truth!"

"Shall we continue our investigation tomorrow? We've had a long day, after all. I believe that all of us are very tired now."- Elize suggests.

Jude smiles weakly while trying to hold off his yawn- "Yeah. It's getting late, so you guys should go home. For me, I will stay here tonight to watch over them. Let us meet here again tomorrow morning."

"Okay! That sounds good to me."- Says the businessman as he stands up and rubs his empty stomach- "By the way, we should grab something to eat before heading home. I'm starving!"

"Me, too. Let's go to the nearby restaurant. I think that they're still..."

The female journalist stops when the main door of the hotel suddenly opens, and a figure sternly steps inside. It's a long blond-hair woman with a pair of ruby eyes. The sudden appearance of this woman makes Jude and others speechless. They are completely stunned on their spots. This is someone that they haven't seen in a long time. And more importantly, they didn't expect to see this person here. Only Teppo is able to utter out his surprise:

"M-Milla?! Is that really you, Milla?!"

"Hm?"- The woman turns her eyes to the direction of the voice calling her name- "O-Oh?! Teppo?!"- The Lord of Spirits can't hide her surprise either when she notices that her friends are all here- "Teppo and... e-everone?! Why are you here?"- She asks and runs to the group.

"M-Milla, w-we should be the ones who ask you that question!"- Leia stammers- "Why ARE you here?"

"Ah, about that..."- Hesitation shows on Milla's face. After a quick look around the hotel lobby, her gaze stops at Jude, who still remains in silence. Both of their eyes lock on each other for few seconds before Milla raises her voice again- "It's about... Ludger."- She speaks low enough for her friends to hear- "This will be unbelievable, but have you guys seen him?"

"Umm... Yeah, we've seen him..."- Alvin replies

"Oh? Good. Where is he?"- Milla continues.

"He's upstairs..."- Says Elize- "Hey, Milla... What is this about?"

"My apologies, Elize. At this moment, I don't have time to explain."- The Lord of Spirits answers shortly- "I need to know one last thing. Is Ludger alone right now, or is he with two people? One boy and one girl?"

"He is with them."- Jude finally speaks- "What about them, Milla? Are they-"

"This isn't good!"- Milla cuts off his words- "Lead me to his room! Hurry!"

"O-okay!"

The young doctor has no idea what is going on now, but judging on her serious tone, he understands what to do. He immediately runs upstairs with Milla behind. Both of them quickly rush to the room that Ludger stays. Unfortunately, when they arrive, the room is completely empty. There is no trace of their little friend and his companions anywhere.

"Where did they go?"- Jude asks worriedly- "T-They couldn't have jumped from the windows, could they?"

"No. The windows of this room are still closed tightly."- Says Milla after she inspects the windows- "I believe that they must have used another way. Let us search outside!"

Following his friend's orders, Jude leaves the room and takes a look around the long corridor of the hotel. It only takes him few seconds to notice that the window at the end of the hall is open- "Milla, come here!"- He calls for his friend while running to the suspicious window to check- "They might have jumped down here."

"Yeah."- Milla nods- "It's very faint, but I can sense them. They aren't far, so we can catch up with them if we're hurry."

"Hey, wait!"- Alvin calls as he and the others quickly make their ways to Jude and Milla- "Okay, what is happening here? Where is Ludger?"

"Ludger is gone."- Says Milla calmly- "We need to get him back from the siblings."

"Eh...? Get him back from them? What do you mean?"- Aks Elle- "The siblings, are they bad people? I thought they are friends with Ludger..."

"Honestly, I don't know..."- With a sigh, the Lord of Spirits shake her head- "Believe it or not, those two are not humans nor spirits. They are... something else, something that we have no knowledge. Besides, they are the ones who took Ludger from Spirit Realm. And therefore, I must get them as soon as possible."

Milla finishes her explanation and jumps from the window. Although this is the second floor, she lands on the ground easily and runs ahead to track down her targets, leaving the rest of her friends in puzzlement.

"Spirit Realm...?"- Jude mumbles- Then, does this mean the littleLudger that we met... h-he is the spirit?"

He cannot believe it. And neither of them can. This case seems to be more complicated than they ever expect.

* * *

 **To be continued…**


End file.
